Looking for a lifestyle change, Bryan Dokmak and his wife decided to move from Sydney to Goulburn in 2002. While researching the history of their new property in Parkesbourne (15 minutes from Goulburn town centre), they discovered that the region had once been a popular area for growing stone fruits.

Seeing a potential for cherries, Bryan and his wife established Sacred Hill Cherries. Together they planted all of the cherry trees, and built an onsite pack house and grading plant that would allow them to harvest, pack and distribute a quality product as quickly as possible.

Bryan says that Goulburn’s location is perfect, with easy access to Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. Sacred Hill Cherries now exports their product to Asia, and can have it arrive in Hong Kong, Singapore or Malaysia just 24 hours after packing.

Bryan and his wife also find the proximity to Canberra ideal from a lifestyle perspective. He says they travel to Canberra every week, and often use the Canberra airport. “It’s so beautiful to be able to park your car and hop on a plane. I tried it when Singapore Airlines took off, and can’t wait for more international flights.” He notes that Goulburn’s proximity to the south coast is another benefit of living in the region. “It’s just a great area to live and work and play!”

Bryan says they prefer to support the local community wherever possible – using local services and employing local people. He says they also get a lot of backpackers who love to stay and work in Goulburn, and travel to Canberra to sightsee.

“We’ve been here 15 years and never looked back. With proximity, everything is here if we need it.”

You can learn more about living and working in Goulburn at www.goulburn.nsw.gov.au and visiting the region at www.goulburnaustralia.com.au.